T4EU Week in Kaunas: A Renaissance of the Liberal Arts and a Diversity of Experiences
From 20 to 24 October, the Transform4Europe (T4EU) European University Alliance held its T4EU Week “TransformEd: Renaissance of Liberal Arts” at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU). For five days, Kaunas became a space for European cooperation, creativity, and civic imagination, where the liberal arts tradition met contemporary transformations in science, technology, and society, and participants created, debated, and questioned the boundaries between disciplines.
The week’s programme was divided into four tracks aimed at students, doctoral candidates, management and research, as well as additional cultural, recreational, and other activities. The student-focused programme complemented a broad academic offering of nine courses with a wide range of cultural and leisure experiences.
In the academic programme, each student could choose one of nine week-long courses. The programme stood out for its variety: topics included communication, philosophy, heritage, music, environmental studies, and more. Each course was taught both online and in person and reflected T4EU priorities: knowledge entrepreneurship and environmental, digital, and societal transformations.
In the course “Making Sense of Disagreement,” participants learned how to disagree meaningfully and communicate constructively amid polarization, disinformation, and digital toxicity. Another course, “The Idea of Europe,” invited students to rethink how the concept of Europe has evolved through philosophy, literature, politics, and cultural identity from Antiquity to the present. “Critical Heritage” introduced heritage studies and encouraged students to develop a local case analysis.
“Globalization and International Communication” examined transnational communication and the ability to think globally while maintaining a local context. “Field Notes to Frontlines: Anthropology that Matters” focused on applied anthropology, ethical work with diverse communities, and the challenges of anthropological practice beyond the university. Fans of creative self-expression developed an original musical in the workshop “Creating a Musical from Scratch: International Musical Theater Workshop.”
Two environmental courses – “Biodiversity Conservation: Understanding, Threats & Solutions” and “Climate Change Science and Solutions” – provided solid scientific foundations in conservation and climate change, along with an understanding of the intersections of policy and society. Finally, the “GIS 360°: Maps that Transform Society” course taught students to use geographic information as a tool for storytelling, decision-making, and social change.
Beyond the intensive and engaging lectures, students could join a variety of daily activities: from sustainability workshops and a visit to the VMU Botanical Garden to workouts and a tour exploring Kaunas street art. The programme also featured a T4EU alumni session on how international experience affects careers; the T4EU Strategic Conference on the importance of resilience in today’s world; a Student Forum with the President of the European Students’ Union; a sensory experience “Installation of the Blind” inviting participants to step into someone else’s shoes; culinary workshops on the legendary cold beet soup šaltibarščiai for food lovers; and an evening Zumba session for sports enthusiasts. Every morning, students from across Europe had the chance to learn Lithuanian in an informal setting.
T4EU Week invited students to see the university as a place where they not only receive answers but also learn to ask deeper questions about critical thinking, civic responsibility, artistic expression, and the ability to connect disciplines. The week inspired participants to bring home deeper questions: from a culture of meaningful disagreement to the idea of Europe, from heritage policy to global communication, from climate-change analysis to creative forms that help us understand more than words alone can convey.
